Flu beats the holiday rush, hits Poconos already

There has been a significant rise in influenza activity across Pennsylvania since Thanksgiving and the Poconos are not immune.

CHAD SMITH

There has been a significant rise in influenza activity across Pennsylvania since Thanksgiving and the Poconos are not immune.

Flu activity has increased from "sporadic" to "widespread" throughout the state, which means that at least half of the state's regions are experiencing outbreaks of influenza, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said.

The flu arrived earlier this year than most years.

Widespread flu activity in Pennsylvania is not usually seen until January. It is unknown why the flu arrived early, health officials said.

This year's influenza strain, type A H3N2, is considered a more powerful strain and can cause severe illness, especially in the elderly.

Locally, the influenza trends seem to be in step with the health department's findings.

Three people were treated for influenza last week at Pocono Medical Center, said hospital spokesman Geoffrey Roche.

That is more people than the hospital is used to treating for influenza in December, Roche said. The people who came to the hospital with influenza were treated but did not have to stay overnight, he added.

Roche said that although the number of patients that the hospital treated for influenza is up for this time of year, Dr. Susheer Gandotra, head of infectious disease medicine at PMC, said that there is no way to predict how bad or mild the flu season might be.

The good news? The dominant influenza strain out there now making people sick, according to the Health Department, is "well matched to this year's vaccine." That means the current flu vaccine is very effective.

The Health Department recommends the flu vaccine for everyone over the age of 6 months old. It's especially important that elderly people, pregnant women and those with chronic health conditions get the vaccine, which takes 10 to 14 days to start working.

Flu usually peaks in mid-winter. Symptoms can include fever, cough, runny nose, head and body aches and fatigue. Some people also suffer vomiting and diarrhea, and some develop pneumonia or other severe complications.

On average, about 24,000 Americans die each flu season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But many of these people are elderly or had underlying health issues.